Leaving JB for Southwest
 

Anyone have any opinions about leaving JetBlue after a couple years for Southwest. Commuter at either place.

Do you have an offer?

What is your opinion?

I've got the offer, strongly leaning toward going. Maybe just cold feet as the date gets closer.

What's your commute at JBA and what would it be at SWA? What's your relative seniority at JBA? I assume you haven't upgraded yet.

If you're only two years in then it makes sense IF you take a snapshot of the industry right now. Just be aware that your quality of work will probably decrease (assuming that you're on the Airbus now). It won't be nearly as pleasant of a front office and the quality of flying will be a little worse.

That said the money can be great if you play the system BUT part of doing that successfully means living in base. Can you give us more details?

The pay and benefits at Jetblue will not come close to the pay and benefits at SWA. I'd make the jump with all else being equal.

Much better pay, flexibility, option to make money if you want, QOL at southwest IMO.

Oh and You won't be codesharing with ME3 airlines at southwest.

Leaving JB for Southwest
 

I worked for B6 briefly before going to WN. Both are good companies, but it is worth noting that there are a lot of little things at B6 that don't exist at WN. For example, at B6 your uniform (including the jacket) is provided. At WN it's on you.

At B6 you choose between parking at your domicile, parking at your commuter city, or a rail pass in your domicile. At WN, there is no allowance for parking anywhere. It's all on you.

If you intend to commute, B6 actually builds commutable pairings. At WN, the vast majority of pairings are either AM or PM. That means commuting into base on a day off to fly an AM the next day. Or commuting home the day after your trip if you fly a PM.

My class at B6 has already upgraded on the E190. At WN it will be another decade before I am eligible to upgrade at the most junior base.

Reserve days at B6 can be swapped or dropped. Not so at WN. There is long call reserve at B6, but not at WN.

Make sure you do your homework before you make the leap. I love WN and am happy to work here, but the pilot group has no appetite for ancillary benefits, especially for junior pilots, in the CBA.

Either decision you make should result in a terrific career if you are younger than 40 or so.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

First time we don't agree. I expect we will have to at the very least get very very close to SWA on this CBA. I don't see a reason not to.
It's a pilots market and I don't see our guys voting for something that comes in under SWA (I won't)

...or you can wait until SWA buys JB.

I kid I kid.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...35bce1db13.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You know it's true:)
That's what your guys keep telling our guys.

Ain't gonna happen. Hip, trendy, progressive northern efficiency doesn't jive with slow, steady, Texas conservatism.

Ain't nobody in Dallas growing no garden on the roof of the terminal or building some IKEA motel next to the training center. [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Training center ain't done yet...

Leaving JB for Southwest
 

Lol. they'd probably just buy the Elegante and slap a logo on the roof.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just like Virgin/Alaska!

Didn't you also mention that at SWA they fly the reserves? Unlike JB where senior guys that bid reserve are flying what...150-200 hrs a year? I live in DFW but could foresee a permanent move between MCO and FLL. If that's the case, it makes more sense for me to stay at B6. Age 46, hired Nov 14.

Depends on where you live for the most part. Zap is the best resource for this since he has worked both places, but for my money, if you are either going to live in or be driving distance from a SWA city other than Orlando or Atlanta, SWA can't be beat. PM me if you want detailed reasons.

SWA you have Empower as your 401K provider right? Yeah, B6 is switching to them. Let the conspiracy theories continue!

I'd stay at B6 if I were you. I spent 20 years hopping around to find greener grass. It has done nothing but waste time. Every place is pretty much the same. You have a number, it has value in every scenario with the exception of a bankruptcy and shutdown.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Schwab for 401k. Empower for profit sharing

The money is better and they treat you like a true professional. No gloving up, no pitting the FAs against the pilots, first year pay is about the same as JB second year pay (considering TFP equivalent), better variety of bases regionally speaking... why wouldn't you go?

Did you see what Zap said?
Literally worked here and left for SWA.

Not exactly. Zap's career reads like a choose your own adventure novel. He is the world's most interesting man.
There you have it. Different people have different opinions.
For what it is worth, I was mulling over leaving SWA after two years here due to the toxicity of contract negotiations. Luckily for this pilot group, we got some strong union leadership who rescued this union from a pretty dismal state and pushed this thing across the finish line. Now that chapter is over and I am glad I didn't leave here to start over somewhere else. These decisions are best made at the dinner table and not in the pilot lounge or cockpit.
Best of luck!

This is excellent advice. At the end of the day you have to do what is right for your family. That may mean an airline with a more commutable domicile even if it means a longer upgrade or less desirable flying. Only you and your family can make that call.


As funny as that sounds, it is not positive. I gave up several seniority numbers after being furloughed by declining recall. Almost every single one of those numbers would be worth more now than my career today. Almost every single one would have resulted in a career path with higher earnings, better seniority, and a quicker upgrade than where I am today.

I'm not saying that things didn't work out ok. They did. I have a good job that I love and I'm fortunate to be able to provide for my family. What it means is that a seniority number at a major airline has intrinsic value beyond what you may see today. In addition to built in furlough-insurance, it could ultimately be your ticket to a solid seniority number at some merged carrier in the future that offers greater opportunities.

Is it a gamble? Sure. But so is starting over at the bottom of the list at Brand X looking at a lengthy upgrade, being on reserve, working weekends and holidays.

Learn from my mistakes. Guard your number. Don't chase dollars. Don't chase shiny jets. Unless your wife disagrees with any of this... then do what she says.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I was just saying he has a very unique prospective vs just what you hear about SWA. Not saying good or bad just that he's been there and done that.

At WN, non-pilot employees have Empower for 401k and Profit Sharing accounts (the Profit Sharing account is another qualified retirement account).

SWAPA Pilots have Empower for the Profit Sharing account, and use Schwab for the 401k account. We are told our 401k has consistently been a nationally top rated 401k account. Much variety of investment options.

Replace a couple words there, and that's what I thought about Virgin and Alaska :eek:

Yeah. Good point.. [emoji15][emoji51]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk